April 20, 1888.] 



SCIENCE. 



193 



sertion of the analytical chapter on linear arches is chiefly a conces- 

 sion to the mathematical students. 



The final chapter is devoted to the graphics of the continuous 

 girder, as an appropriate conclusion to the graphics of the arched 

 rib of which the former is a special case. 



The topics are frequently illustrated, calculus in its simplest form 

 is employed, the equations are carefully described, and special at- 

 tention is given to a proper defining of the values and character of 

 the various data used. 



A general view of the book as a whole leads to the opinion that 

 the line of treatment has been clearly thought out by the author, 

 and each topic logically developed in its proper place. In that re- 

 spect it is worthy of all praise, but the impression is at the same 

 time created, that, as a text-book for technical schools, it is too 

 elaborate. For those who make a special study of its branch of 

 engineering, it is admirable : for the average student, who has many 

 other topics to share the attention and time of his course, much 

 pruning would be necessary, to the detriment of his understanding 

 of the subject as a whole. 



Chips from a Teacher's Workshop. By L. R. Klemm. Boston, 

 Lee & Shepard. i6°. 



Mr. Klemm has put together the most practical little book on 

 education that has recently come from the press. It is scrappy, to 

 be sure, but it is comprehensive. If the style is jerky, and at times 

 harsh, it is also concise. The contents of the book are not wholly 

 new. Many, if not most, of the chapters have appeared as articles 

 in educational journals. But the author is quite right in believing 

 them worth reproducing in book form. Too frequently the teachers 

 of the country are written at : Mr. Klemm does not write at, but 

 to them. He is most successful when handling and illustrating 

 the details of schoolroom-work. His more elaborate essays are 

 not so good. His chapter of ' Open Letters to a Young Teacher ' 

 will appeal to thousands, and ought to appeal to tens of thousands, 

 of readers. They all ask the very questions, at some time or other, 

 that Mr. Klemm answers. They would turn in vain to the ency- 

 clopsedia, or the formal book on pedagogy, or the psychology text- 

 book, for any hint as to how to overcome chronic tardiness or un- 

 cleanliness in pupils. Mr. Klemm's experience furnishes some 

 excellent suggestions as to how to proceed. We have never seen 

 more ingenious and effective devices for arousing interest and 

 making instruction comprehensible than his board for teaching 

 numeration, his use of paper-folding in teaching fractions, and his 

 original illustrations, from the boundary-lines of the several States 

 of the Union, of the proper way to connect the teaching of history 

 and geography. 



We must bear in mind that the teaching force is largely distrib- 

 uted in rural districts. It is far from lectures and libraries, and re- 

 mote from the centres of civilization. It wants to know how it may 

 improve practically. It wants both knowledge and skill. It 

 needs devices, not essays. It wants to be guided, not preached at. 

 Mr. Klemm knows these facts, and has written this book accord- 

 ingly. It is especially adapted to the needs of the country teacher. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The agricultural experiment station of the University of Ten- 

 nessee, Knoxville, has been re-organized, with the following officers : 

 director, Charles W. Dabney, jun. ; assistant director, in charge of 

 field and feeding experiments, Charles S. Plumb ; botanist and 

 horticulturist, F. Lamson Scribner ; chemist, Winthrop E. Stone ; 

 entomologist, Henry E. Summers ; assistant in field and feeding 

 experime'nts, Charles L. Newman. 



— On Monday evening, April i6, 1888, after the adjournment of 

 the regular business of the New York Academy of Sciences, the 

 members interested in mineralogy held a meeting for the purpose 

 of establishing a section on mineralogy. This section will meet 

 when enough interesting material presents itself before the New 

 York Mineralogical Club to insure a full evening of business, and 

 will publish all papers presented before the Mineralogical Club 

 in the Proceedings of the Academy. Mr. George F. Kunz was 

 elected president, and Mr. J. H. Caswell secretary, of the sec- 

 tion. 



— Several years ago the Danish Government sent out a number 

 of expeditions into the interior of Greenland. These were followed 

 by Nordenskidld's and Peary's expeditions. In the coming summer 

 Dr. Frithjof Nansen of Bergen will make an attempt to cross the 

 desolate ice-covered highland of Greenland, starting from the east 

 coast. He intends to start from the neighborhood of Cape Dan 

 with three companions, and will attempt to reach the Danish colo- 

 nies on the west coast. It is doubtful whether he will succeed in 

 reaching the coast in time, as a wide belt of pack-ice prevents ships 

 approaching it. From former experiences, it would seem that Cape 

 Dan, where the coast makes a sharp bend, is the place where ap- 

 proach is easiest ; but the whalers who will convey Dr. Nansen 

 to Greenland do not penetrate the heavy masses of ice lying close 

 to the coast of Greenland. The ice generally opens late in the sea- 

 son, and it is to be feared that travelling on the inland ice will be 

 very difficult at that season. Nordenskidld's and Peary's experi- 

 ences show that early in spring, before the commencement of the 

 thaw, is the best, time for such an enterprise : therefore it would 

 seem that success is most probable for a traveller who would win- 

 ter in Greenland. 



— Of late years the Portuguese have made attempts to increase 

 their influence in the countries adjoining the colony of Benguela^ 

 For this purpose Major de Carvalho was sent into the empire of 

 Lunda, from which journey he returned in October, 1887, after an 

 absence of three years. A number of stations were established 

 east of the Kuango, and, in consequence of prolonged stays at such 

 stations, the new capital of the Muata Yamvo was reached in De- 

 cember, 1886, after two years of travel. The expedition was un- 

 able to proceed farther eastward, but it appears from the available 

 reports that it succeeded in establishing Portuguese influence in the 

 empire of the Muata Yamvo more securely. The expedition was 

 probably undertaken on account of the encroachment of the Kongo 

 Free State and the Germans upon that part of southern Africa 

 which the Portuguese considered their property for a long while. 

 The English are also endeavoring to establish their dominion in 

 southern Africa as firmly as possible. A treaty has recently been 

 made with the chief of Amatonga Land ; and thus the whole coast 

 of South Africa, from Orange River to Delagoa Bay, has become 

 English. 



— The English are incessant in their endeavors to open a trade- 

 route from India to China. One of the preliminary steps to reach 

 this object is the establishment of a railroad from the valley of the- 

 Brahmaputra to the upper part of the Irawadi, by which means 

 they expect to strengthen their position in Burmah. The region to 

 be traversed is extremely mountainous, and the road will have to- 

 cross the Patkoi Mountains. Recently an expedition has been sent 

 out to ascertain the feasibility of building the road, of which Messrs.. 

 Michell and Needham were in charge. They found that the Pat- 

 koi Range, which was formerly considered an insurmountable bar- 

 rier for the trade between Assam and Burmah, can be crossed on 

 a number of passes not exceeding 2,500 feet in height. They suc- 

 ceeded in crossing it on one of these passes with five elephants, and, 

 state that a road can be built without great difficulties. Thus the- 

 recent reports of Colqhoun and Woodthorpe are confirmed. At 

 the present time the trade between China and Burmah is carried 

 on by caravans consisting of from 200 to 2,000 animals, which 

 cross the range during the dry season, i.e., between the months of 

 November and May. They cross the territory of the Kachins, who 

 e.xact heavy payments from them ; nevertheless the caravans are 

 subject to frequent attacks, and must be protected by an escort of. 

 armed men. 



— In 1877 Fremy succeeded in obtaining very small crystals-, 

 of artificial rubies. In 1887 he resumed his experiments, and, with 

 the assistance of Mr. Verneuil, has succeeded in obtaining beautiful 

 and comparatively large crystals. La Nature describes his experi- 

 ments according to the report given to the Academy of Sciences of 

 Paris, illustrated by cuts, which we reproduce here. On Feb. 27, 

 Fremy and Verneuil presented to the academy these crystals, which, 

 were obtained by the action of fluorides upon aluminium. Fluor- 

 ide of barium was made to act upon aluminium containing traces. 

 of bichromate of potassium. The regularity of crystallization, 

 which was obtained after numerous experiments, was found to de- 



